FINDING PRIVACY AND A NOISE-FREE ZONE
Set up your desk or office in a part of the house from which the sounds of your baby’s crying, children fighting, cartoons on TV, or the dishwasher running is not distracting you or overheard by business callers.
Carve out a separate space for your office--spare bedroom, den, basement, attic, walk-in closet, hallway, or even a part of your bedroom.
If your child is being watched at home care by someone else:
Have a door that locks to avoid unexpected pop-in visits and demands while you are concentrating or on an important work phone call.
Arrange for classes and activities that take your children out for fresh air or on new adventures.
FIELDING INTERRUPTIONS FROM YOUR CHILD
Explain the importance of your work, and the difference for you between play time and work time to your four-year-old or older.
Have your child draw an "At-Work" sign for the door to your home office.
Tell your child that when your office door is open, you welcome interruptions, and when it’s closed, you cannot be disturbed.
Keep snacks and drinks close to your work space if going to the kitchen means your child will see you and clamor for your attention.
Arrange your work day so that the work you do while your child is home or awake is conducive to interruptions, such as catching up on reading or filing.
Tell your child that your desk and computer are off-limits as an art or play space, unless you say so. Childproof the area if you have a younger child who you will be allowing into the space, or put up a gate or lock on the door to keep your child out of your work space.
Decide whether you will allow playdates over to the house on the days or times that you work, and where the children need to play to keep the noise down.
Explain to your child that office supplies like your tape dispenser, scissors, or stapler cannot be taken off for a project elsewhere in your house without first asking your permission and then ensuring their prompt return.
Be flexible enough to drop everything when your child really needs your attention.
WHEN YOUR CHILD INTERRUPTS PHONE CALLS
Children seem to have a third sense about when you are on the phone, and often become magnetically drawn at that instant to clamor for your attention.
Resist the temptation to answer the phone if you think your child will not stay quiet for the duration of the call. Let voice mail pick it up, and return the call when you have restored quiet.
Explain basic rules to your child, such as:
If you are talking on the phone, your child must wait to have your undivided attention, or otherwise you will need to keep the door shut to ensure privacy.
If you have an infant or toddler who needs your attention, even during phone calls, invest in a cordless phone or headset, so you can wander while you talk.
Have toys, crafts, or games that only come up during phone conversations. Or save TV-watching and video time for when you have an important call to make.
Create a telephone free zone from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening, so that your child knows there will be a time when she will not be competing with calls for your attention.
INTERRUPTIONS AND REQUESTS FROM FRIENDS
Friends will often assume you have increased availability given that you are working from home or a stay-at-home mom.
If friends who work at offices ask for repeated favors, like watching their children in a pinch or waiting for a repairperson, find polite ways to say no. Let friends know about your work hours, to avoid drop-in visits or phone calls from which you find it difficult to extricate yourself.
MINIMIZING INTERRUPTIONS AT THE OFFICE
Set aside part of your workday—ideally two hours, often the early morning works best for this—for work on your most pressing projects, calls that need to be returned, e-mail, office administration, and catch up.
Use this time to make critical home-related calls that you need to make from work.
List your top five interrupters, such as phone calls or people popping in your office to chat.
Think creatively about how you can most successfully eliminate these attention grabbers.
To avoid interruptions during your office administration time, close your door with an amusing note to defray perceived slights: "Amazing brainstorming in progress, please come back in a little while (or at a specific time)!"
If you don’t have a private space, hunt down a remote office or unused conference room to do paper work.
If you share an office or space, work out an arrangement with your coworker to designate certain times of day for working quietly and avoiding interruptions.
Let voicemail pick up your calls when you find yourself immersed in your work.
Make strategic use of meetings and phone calls.
Finish busy work while you listen.
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Make copies of information to be discussed and outline your agenda before a meeting.
Use the excuse of a meeting or incoming call to gracefully end a meeting or telephone conversation that has devolved into small talk or extended social patter.
Politely excuse yourself with a statement such as "I have to run…let’s catch up soon, the best time for me to talk is …"
Empty your desk space of everything but the most important projects you’re working on to cut down on distractions.
When leaving your office for the day, clear off your desktop so that you arrive to a clean space the next morning.
WAYS TO UNWIND AFTER WORK AND EASE THE TRANSITION HOME
Recognize that around 6:00 in the evening, you are most likely entering a cranky time regardless of your child’s age.
Have appetizers ready to tide everyone over and push dinner time back in order to play and relax with your child.
Take a half-hour of transition time between coming home from work and launching into chores or cooking dinner. During this time, don’t even open the mail.
THINGS TO DO TO RELAX
Nurse or bottle feed your baby.
Stretch out on the sofa and invite your child to climb, play, talk or snuggle with you, and if old enough, to share news about her day and
hear all about your day.
Jump into a bubble bath with your baby or toddler and be silly, or take a quick shower.
Turn on your favorite music.
Lie on the floor and let your child turn you into the human jungle gym.
Pour yourself a cup of hot tea or cocoa.
Rock together for a few minutes on a rocking chair or comfy couch.
Bake a dessert together.
IF WEATHER PERMITS, HEAD OUTDOORS
Swing with your child on the swing set or hammock.
Play in the yard or driveway.
Go to a park.
Play kickball, chase, whatever involves some giggling and fresh air.
If it stays light out late, go for a family excursion after dinner, such as a golf ball hunt at a local golf course or hitting tennis balls together, even if your toddler just races around to pick them up, or your infant watches all the commotion with fascination.
Take a dusk walk with your child, often a time of shared confidences and more intimate conversation.
Go with your child over to a neighbor’s house for a brief visit.
Drive for ice cream.
IF YOU HAVE AN IN-HOME CHILD CARE PROVIDER, ASK HER TO
Give your child dinner and a bath before you get home.
Straighten up at the end of the day so you do not come home to a disaster area.
Spend a half hour helping with dinner basics, such as by putting water on to boil and making a salad, while you play with your child.
